Materials on this page:

• Garden plants leaflet
• Aquatic plants leaflet
• guide for gardeners
• guide for pond or aquarium owners
• guide for landscapers
• garden plants poster
• aquatic plants poster
• sticker for tills and compost bins
• information sheet for retailers
• roller banner

Garden plants leaflet

Be Plant Wise

Protecting wildlife and the environment from invasive plants: a guide for gardeners.

Your plants can become invasive if they escape beyond your garden border
Many plants in our gardens and ponds are not native to Great Britain (GB) - they have been introduced from all over the world by people. While non-native plants can help us to create beautiful ornamental displays to enjoy, some can become invasive if they spread beyond your garden. Invasive non-native plants can cause serious problems, including:

• crowding out native plants which other species rely on for food and shelter
• changing soil conditions and nutrients, and spreading plant diseases 
• damaging buildings and infrastructure, and interfering with agriculture and utilities
• clogging waterways, which interferes with recreation and increases the flood risk
• harming our health 

Once established they can be costly to control and the damage they cause can be irreversible. We don’t always know which species will be a problem, so it’s really important not to plant anything in the wild - even plants that are
native to other parts of GB. You can help protect the environment for future generations to enjoy by following our Be Plant Wise tips.

Know what you grow: Choose the right plants for your garden, pond,
aquarium, or water feature

• Research plants before you buy them to make sure they are suitable for your needs, easy to dispose of, and won’t be invasive.
• Consider native plants, or choose non-invasive alternatives - visit our website for suggestions.
• Never take plants from the wild, it can be illegal
  and may damage the environment.
• Take care when sharing plants or cuttings as you may accidentally pass on invasive plants, pests, or plant diseases.
• Did you know that it’s illegal to sell or share some invasive plants? Find a list on our website.

Stop the spread: Keep your plants in your garden, don’t plant them, or allow them to grow, in the wild.

• Keep plants you are unfamiliar with to areas you can keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t ‘jump the fence’ and spread into the
  wild, especially in gardens bordering the countryside.
• Pull out any runners and seedlings that start to spread. 
• If you have an invasive plant in your garden, deadhead seed heads and pods regularly and dispose of them carefully to stop them spreading on the wind.
• Wash your tools regularly if you use them in other people's gardens or for voluntary work in the countryside.

Compost with care: Dispose of unwanted plants, roots, weeds, seeds, and seed heads responsibly. 

• Make sure nothing you remove from your garden, pond, or aquarium gets into the wild, you could be breaking the law if it does.
• Most plants can be composted or put in your garden waste bin but remember to check what your local council will accept first.
• Be aware that some invasive plants, such as Japanese knotweed, have extra controls around their disposal. Visit our website for more information on disposing of plants safely.

Invasive plants in the wild

A few examples of the problems caused by garden and pond plants that have become invasive.

• Garden escapes like montbretia crowd out other plants and threaten important habitats.
• Some species spread disease. Rhododendron is a host of plant diseases which threaten native species including oak, beech and larch.
• Aquatic plants such as floating pennywort clog waterways damaging the habitat, preventing boat use, and increasing the risk of flooding.
• Control can be costly. Water primrose is not yet widespread in Britain but will cost millions of pounds to manage if it spreads further, like it has in parts of Europe.

Extra tips for pond and aquarium plants:

• Try to buy pond plants bare root. If you buy one potted in soil or compost, wash this off the roots over a bucket and give the whole plant a quick rinse before planting to remove any seeds or plant fragments.
• Use this, and any waste water from your pond or aquarium, on your lawn or to water plants in your garden in areas that are a good distance from waterbodies or drains that flow into them.
• If your pond is near a wetland or waterbody, avoid using plants which aren’t native to the local area and if any invasive plants appear, remove them before they spread.
• Add unwanted aquatic plants to your home compost or use them as mulch in dry borders, keeping away from waterbodies or drains.
• Protect pond life by leaving any plants you’ve removed on the edge of the pond to drain for a few hours before disposing of them, to allow wildlife to return to the water.

Find out more at: www.nonnativespecies.org/beplantwise. 

Aquatic plants leaflet

Be Plant Wise

Protecting wildlife and our waterways from invasive aquatic plants: a guide for pond and aquarium owners.

Your aquatic plants can become invasive if they escape into our waterways
Many plants in our ponds and aquaria are not native to Great Britain (GB) - they have been introduced from all over the world by people. While non-native plants can help us to create beautiful ornamental displays to enjoy, some can become invasive if they spread into our waterways. 

Invasive aquatic plants can cause serious problems, including:

• crowding out other plants
• removing oxygen from the water, which harms fish and other wildlife
• clogging waterways, which interferes with recreation and increases the flood risk

Once established they can be costly to control and the damage they cause can be irreversible. We don’t always know which species will be a problem so it’s really important not to plant anything in a natural waterbody, even plants that are native to other parts of GB.

You can help to protect our waterways for future generations to enjoy by following our Be Plant Wise tips.

Know what you grow: Choose the right plants for your pond, aquarium, 
and other water features

• Research plants before you buy them to make sure they are suitable for your needs, easy to dispose of, and won’t be invasive.
• Keep aquarium plants out of your pond.
• Consider native plants, or choose non-invasive alternatives. Visit our website for suggestions.
• If your pond is near a wetland or waterbody, avoid using any plants which aren’t native to the local area.
• Never take plants from the wild, it can be illegal and may damage the environment.
• Take care when sharing plants or cuttings, as you may accidentally pass on invasive plants, pests, or plant diseases. 
• Did you know that it’s against the law to share or sell some pond plants? Find a list on our website.

Stop the spread: Keep your plants in your pond or aquarium, don’t plant them, or allow them to grow, in the wild.

• Build your pond away from drains or natural waterbodies to stop your plants from spreading into them.
• Wash your tools regularly if you use them in other ponds or for voluntary work in the countryside.
• Try to buy pond plants bare root. If you buy one potted in soil or compost, wash this off the roots into a bucket and give the whole plant a quick rinse before planting to remove unwanted seeds or plant fragments. 
• Use this and any waste water from your pond or aquarium to water your lawn or garden plants in areas that are a good distance from waterbodies or drains that flow into them.

Compost with care: Dispose of your unwanted plants, roots, weeds, seeds, and water, responsibly 

• Make sure nothing you remove from your pond or aquarium ends up in the wild, you could be breaking the law if it does.
• Add unwanted aquatic plants to your home compost or use them as mulch in dry borders in your garden, away from waterbodies or drains.
• Be aware that some invasive plants have extra controls around their disposal, visit our website to learn more.

Invasive plants in the wild

A few examples of the problems caused by pond and aquarium plants that have become invasive.

• Invasive aquatic plants can be a risk to animals and people when they form dense mats that resemble a solid surface.
• Floating pennywort clog waterways damaging the habitat, preventing boat use, and increasing the risk of flooding.
• Control can be costly. Water primrose is not yet widespread in Britain but will cost millions of pounds to manage if it spreads further, like it has in parts of Europe.

Protect the wildlife in your pond! Leave any plants you’ve removed on the edge of the pond to drain for a few hours before disposing of them to allow any wildlife to return to the water.

Your garden plants could become invasive too. For additional tips on how to prevent your garden plants from becoming invasive, and to learn more about anything in this leaflet, visit: www.nonnativespecies.org/beplantwise. 

Garden plants poster

Be Plant Wise

If your plants escape beyond your garden border they can become invasive, harming our wildlife, environment and economy.

Once established, invasive plants are costly to control and the damage they cause can be irreversible. You can help protect the environment by following our three simple tips.

·         Know what you grow – choose the right plants for your garden, pond, aquarium and water features

·         Stop the spread – dispose of your discarded plants, roots, weeds, seeds and seed heads responsibly

·         Compost with care – keep your plants in your garden and don’t plant anything in the wild

Find out more at www.nonnativespecies.org/beplantwise

Aquatic plants poster

Be Plant Wise

If your plants escape beyond your pond or aquarium they can become invasive, harming our wildlife, environment and economy.

Once established, invasive aquatic plants are costly to control and the damage they cause can be irreversible. You can help protect our waterways by following our three simple tips.

·         Know what you grow – choose the right plants for your pond, aquarium and other water features

·         Stop the spread – keep your plants in your pond or aquarium and don’t plant anything in the wild

·         Compost with care – dispose of your discarded plants, roots, weeds, seeds and water responsibly

Find out more at www.nonnativespecies.org/beplantwise

Information sheet for retailers

Help our native wildlife to thrive by stopping the spread of invasive plants

Many popular garden and pond plants are not native to Britain – they have been introduced from other parts of the world. While they can help us to create beautiful displays to enjoy, if they escape into the wild some can become invasive, harming wildlife and the environment, the economy, and even our health and the way we live.

Why are invasive plants a problem?

Invasive plants can harm native plants by spreading pests and plant diseases, and competing for space, light, nutrients and water. This has a wider impact on other species which rely on native plants, including birds, butterflies and other insects, and could threaten the survival of rare plant species.

Some invasive plants harm the economy and our communities by interfering with agriculture and utilities, or make it harder for us to take part in recreational activities such as fishing, sailing or paddling. Others can even affect our health. Once established, invasive plants are costly to control and the damage they cause can be irreversible. Pond and aquarium plants can be particularly devastating if they escape into a natural waterbody. 

What can I do to help as a retailer?

We need your help! We all want to look after the environment and our native wildlife for future generations to enjoy. As a retailer you can help by taking simple measures to avoid spreading invasive plants, and educating your customers on how they can do this too.

Ask your customers to Be Plant Wise:

Gardeners can help by following these three simple steps:

·         Know what you grow – Choose the right plants for your garden, pond and water features.

·         Stop the spread – Keep your plants in your garden and never let any plants from your garden grow in the wild.

·         Compost with care - Dispose of your unwanted plants, roots, weeds, seeds, and seed heads responsibly.

Free materials to help you

We have free Be Plant Wise packs containing posters, leaflets and stickers for you to display in store and share with your customers.

Visit the Be Plant Wise website or contact [email protected] to order copies.

Prevent the spread of invasive plants

There are a range of plants that are already banned from sale, and it is an offence to allow a number of the most invasive plants to grow in the wild. In Scotland it is an offence to allow any non-native plant to grow in the wild. Many invasive plants can still be legally sold, but should only be grown, managed and disposed of with caution to avoid environmental harm.

An up to date list of plants which cannot legally be sold is available on the Be Plant Wise website.

Other suggested measures to take in store

·         Label plants correctly with their correct full botanical name in addition to any other common names (if used). Contact your suppliers if there are discrepancies.

·         Help customers to choose appropriate plants, depending on the size and purpose of their garden or pond.

·         Make sure there aren’t any contaminants in or on any plants, water or soil that you sell.

·         Clean your tools, equipment and footwear regularly, including any pots and trays you reuse, to avoid spreading plant fragments, seeds or plant diseases.

·         Look out for anything unusual report pests and plant diseases through the Plant Health Portal.

·         If you find something that can’t be reported using the link above, you can report non-native species online through iRecord.

Useful links and resources:

·         Be Plant Wise website

·         The Flatworm Code of Practice, with information for retailers on preventing the spread of non-native flatworms which pose a risk to earthworms

·         Plant Health Portal with information on plant pests and diseases

Thank you for helping us to look after the environment. It is only with your support that we can hope to significantly reduce the spread of invasive plants.

If you have any questions or would like to order any materials please contact [email protected]

Roller banner

If your plants escape beyond your garden they can become invasive, harming our wildlife, environment, and economy

Be Plant Wise

You can help by following three simple tips:

·         Know what you grow – Choose the right plants for your garden, pond, aquarium and water features.

·         Stop the spread – Keep your plants in your garden – don’t plant them, or allow them to grow, in the wild.

·         Compost with care - Dispose of your unwanted plants, roots, weeds, seeds, and seed heads responsibly.

Find out more at www.nonnativespecies.org/beplantwise